Oct. 24, 2020
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Please see the two attachments that detail work in the following two weeks in Basin I (vicinity of the Duck Pond) and Basin II (vicinity of Southside Park).
Basin I (vicinity of Duck Pond)
This past week a tremendous amount of work was completed on Jane Way, First Boulevard, Battery Creek Road, and the Spanish Moss Trail, including the installation of nearly 10 new drainage pipes. This past Monday, the steel sheet pile wall was completed with 1,285 feet installed. This steel wall is preventing water seepage under the Spanish Moss Trail from entering from Battery Creek into the neighborhoods.
Construction on the coffer dam also began, which will further prevent water from entering from Battery Creek into the neighborhood while the tidal flap gates are installed and the old sewer line replaced. Finally, ditch cleanout from North Royal Oaks to West Royal Oaks began, which includes removing trees and vegetative debris.
Next week pipes will be installed along First Boulevard and Jane Way. First Boulevard will close to traffic, and work will take place during the day and at night. Detours will last from 10 days to two weeks while sewage, water and drainpipes are either replaced or relocated. Please avoid First Boulevard in the vicinity of Jane Way if possible.
Ditch improvements from North Royal Oaks to West Royal Oaks will continue with work being conducted over the weekend. Finally, the Spanish Moss Trail is being prepared for major work that includes replacing an old sewage line and installing tidal flap gates to prevent high tidal water from inundating neighborhoods. Heavy rains this week did not inundate homes because of the already installed and improved drain lines.
Basin 2 (vicinity of Southside Park)
Work in Basin II has been substantially completed! Work continues in the Broad Street neighborhood to install massive drainpipes. Construction in the Broad Street area is about 50% complete, and work will continue this weekend.
Work in Basin II, with the exception of construction on the Spanish Moss Trail, will be completed ahead of schedule and on budget!
Finally, based on the construction schedule of the Spanish Moss Trail in Basin I, work will begin on the Spanish Moss Trail in Basin II on or about Nov. 2. This means that both portions of the Spanish Moss Trail will be closed for several weeks. While this is disruptive in the short term, the long-term benefits are not in question.
Safety!
Heavy construction will continue, particularly in the Jane Way and First Boulevard area. Please avoid this area if possible. Disruptions and detours will be numerous. We appreciate that the Sheriff’s Office and Police Department have increased patrols, contributing to a safe environment. We are grateful to all those who continue to transit the area safely and with great caution.
Stay informed
Please encourage all those affected or interested in the Mossy Oaks Project to register with the “Notify Me” application found on the City of Beaufort website (https://www.cityofbeaufort.org/list.aspx) and subscribe to the Mossy Oaks Stormwater Project updates. This is the mechanism to receive near real-time updates on the project to include urgent issues like unscheduled road closures or utility interruptions.
I’m very pleased to report that at this point, the project remains on track for an on-time and on-budget delivery in the December-January timeframe.
As always, the project is available to address comments, questions and concerns 24/7.
Please have a fantastic week and thank you for your continued patience!
Neal Pugliese, Col USMC (Ret)
Chairman
Mossy Oaks Multijurisdictional Drainage Task Force
npugliese@cityofbeaufort.org